


smile like you mean it

by melodramatichopelessromantic



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Angst, Angst with eventual fluff, Cuddling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One Shot, galolio, galolio one shot, i'm so weak for them omg, lyrics inspired, promare - Freeform, they take care of each other and that makes me so happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22227478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodramatichopelessromantic/pseuds/melodramatichopelessromantic
Summary: A cheerful façade can cover up whatever emotional turmoil writhes within. But there is only so much you can hide behind a smile.Galo knew this all too well.
Relationships: Lio Fotia & Galo Thymos, Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 21
Kudos: 184





	smile like you mean it

**Author's Note:**

> a sequel of sorts to "thawing the frigidity" which i posted earlier! this time i wanted to have an angst with eventual fluff fic from Galo's POV bc 1) i love him and 2)you know he's been through some shit and i want him to be okay,,,,,
> 
> anyway yeah promare has taken over my entire life and nothing can save me now
> 
> Comments+feedback appreciated!
> 
> Song insp- smile like you mean it/the killers

Galo was used to being thought of as an idiot. 

And well, he was, but that didn’t mean it didn’t get to him once in a while. He didn’t hold it against his colleagues- his friends- he knew it wasn’t meant with malice. Besides, even he couldn’t deny the fact that he didn’t always think things all the way through. But regardless of the consequences of any situation, he did hold on to one thing: He would get through whatever it was, or go down fighting and get up again and again. 

Things always worked out in the end. Mostly, anyway.

Yes, Galo was loud, brash, and beyond impulsive. But that attitude had gotten him through the worst of things. He swore to himself that he would look on the brighter side of things and stay determined no matter what. Someone had to do it. And it wasn’t just for himself.

Lio had begun to live with him after the fiasco with the promare was decently behind them. Now that the promare was gone, Lio wasn’t that angry, blazing flame anymore. He had learned to cool off and relax, and Galo liked to think he had been helpful in that.

But Galo couldn’t fix everything. He knew Lio was hurting. 

He wasn’t sure if Lio was aware of it, but Galo had seen him stare at his palms nightly, undoubtedly attempting to summon the Promare again. Galo never said anything- after all, what was there to say? Lio hadn’t just lost his power, but a major part of who he was. The Mad Burnish didn’t need a leader if there were no more Mad Burnish to begin with. 

But Galo did his best, cheering up Lio all he could, making sure that his boyfriend was well adjusted to this new normalcy. And he knew Lio was grateful for it. If Galo could keep smiling, things would be okay. For him, for Lio, for everyone.

Yes, he was the idiot of the group. The big, loud, grinning idiot whose moronic determination somehow saved his life again and again. He didn’t mind if that was how people saw him, and if anything, things was better off this way. Even when Galo’s own troubles began to get to him, even when his own anxieties became overwhelming, he would grin and bear it, dealing with it on his own. He didn’t want to burden anyone- most of all Lio. 

Keep your head up, he told himself.

Nobody will do it for you. '

*****

Galo wasn’t one to dwell on his own past. While he didn’t remember his family much, that didn’t mean he never thought about them. But dammit, those memories were like reopening a wound every goddamn time. 

This, upon many other things, was starting to bring him down once again.

Maybe the stress and exhaustion from the whole Promare mess was finally catching up with him. Maybe the emotional blows from Kray’s betrayal were finally setting in. It could be anything, it could be everything. It was on days like this that Galo, who was usually so brash and confident, actually felt vulnerable.

He needed to be alone. At least for a little while. 

So, hours later that day, he sat on the bed alone, uncharacteristically gloomy, seemingly staring into nothingness. Galo didn’t even notice Lio enter the room.

“Galo?”

He didn’t hear him right away, as Galo was so lost in thought it took him a minute to register that Lio was talking to him. 

“Galo? Are you alright?” Lio’s voice was more insistent this time as he sat beside him on the bed.

Galo blinked and looked at him blankly for a second before remembering to put on a smile.

“Of course!” He replied in what was hopefully an upbeat tone. 

Lio’s violet eyes studied him, and Galo knew he wasn’t convinced.

“You’ve been off all day,” Lio said, matter of factly. “You’re never quiet like this. That’s my job.”

Nervously, Galo tried to laugh it off. “Me? Quiet? Since when?” he said, giving Lio an affectionate shove.

Grin and bear it, Galo told himself. You’ll be fine.

“…”

“Lio, really. Don’t worry about me,” Galo insisted, but his smile faltered when he saw the concern on Lio’s face.

“Why do you always do that?” Lio’s voice was nearly a whisper.

“Do what?”

“You keep putting on cheerful airs even when you’re obviously sad about something. Why do you do that?” Galo felt a twinge at Lio’s blunt comment. His boyfriend could be incredibly intuitive.

Plus, it didn’t help that Galo just wasn’t great at hiding his emotions.

Galo wanted to reply, but he suddenly found it difficult to say anything at all. Instead, he looked away and gently shook his head. He could feel Lio trying to look him in the eye, his gaze burning like the flames that once blazed behind them. 

“You know you can talk to me, right?” There was a hint of pleading in Lio’s voice now.

Galo still looked away from him, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. “Lio, it’s fine-“

“Look at me.”

Lio’s placed a cold but gentle hand upon Galo’s face, turning the other’s head toward himself. Caught off-guard, Galo found himself momentarily unable to look away from Lio’s concerned expression. 

“It- it’s fine,” Galo managed, but his voice broke on the last word. 

Lio wrapped his arms around the other without a moment’s hesitation, holding him tight as Galo hugged him weakly in return. Lio didn’t let go once as Galo’s steady breathing became quiet, racking sobs, Galo holding him tighter as if he were afraid that Lio would slip away from him at any moment. 

“Galo. Talk to me. You know I’ll listen,” Lio said softly, as he stroked the other’s back in calming, gentle circles.

“You- you have your own shit to deal with,” Galo choked, again trying unsuccessfully to sound cheerful and confident. “It wouldn’t be fair to you-“

At this, Galo felt Lio’s cold hands on his face again as he was suddenly pulled into a gentle kiss. Momentarily left breathless, Galo stared at the other blankly, tears streaming silently down his cheeks. 

“Did you really think that I wouldn’t be here for you after all you’ve done for me?” Lio whispered fiercely, “It can’t always be about me, Galo. This is for both of us.”

For the first time that day, Galo felt a genuine smile creep up on him. He leaned his head onto Lio’s shoulder and sighed. “I really am an idiot, aren’t I…”

Lio nuzzled him affectionately, holding him tight. “Everyone is, sometimes.”

*****

Galo didn’t realize how much had been getting to him as he vented to Lio, who quietly and attentively listened as he spilled his heart out about nothing and everything. He didn’t realize how long they had sat there together afterward, in a quiet, comforting silence. He didn’t realize that despite it all, he had finally calmed down and had begun to feel a lot more like himself. 

Now, they cuddled there together, like spoons in a drawer, watching the window as the midday sky became a canvas of evening pastels.

Galo had his arms wrapped around Lio and was currently busying himself with leaving as many kisses as possible upon Lio’s head and face. 

“I take it you’re feeling better,” Lio mused, turning over to face the other and give him a few kisses in return.

Galo gave a huff of contentment and nuzzled Lio’s neck affectionately. “I just hope you’re feeling better too,” he said, suddenly not wanting all the attention to be on himself. 

“I have been, thanks to you,” Lio admitted, “But you know you don’t have to deal with things on your own for my sake, right?”

“Yeah,” Galo sighed. The tension from before had finally dissolved, and the weight of his own worries were no longer sitting on his chest, no longer suffocating him. Lio had helped him breathe easy again. Lio leaned closer, beckoning a kiss, which Galo obliged. Their lips met, and Galo grinned sheepishly as he pulled away. 

“There. I like it when you aren’t forcing a smile,” Lio said, giving Galo’s nose an affectionate boop. “Promise me you’ll only smile when you mean it?”

Galo knew this wouldn’t be the last time life’s tribulations would overwhelm him. He knew that he and Lio had a lot of healing to do. But they had each other through it all, and that was enough. He pulled Lio closer into a firm but gentle hug, hoping that Lio would understand that he was being completely serious. Galo felt Lio wrap his arms around him in return, waiting for a reply.

Galo sighed whistfully.

“I promise.”


End file.
